Dear Dr. Bob: I will highly appreciate if you give comments on my question. I am sure it will help a lot of folks "worried wells" who were (like me) on a suicidal row. The story is short: I had an unprotected sex with a woman of an unknown HIV status. I developed fever, itchy face, terrible pain in muscles, I could not sleep, I lost weight, etc. After about 4 months on a suicidal mood, I found courage andgot an Elisa test fr HIV antibodies. It turned out to be negative! I though it was a misatke and I had gazillion of them every 15 days- all of them turned to be negative even after 1 year of exposure. But the symptoms stayed. I had swollen toungue, white patches in the mouth, itchy skin and muscle pain. Finally, I went to a doctor who declared that I had an allergy: he gave me an anti-allergy medication and all was gone. My toungue became red as a Chineese red banner, no white patches, I am as strong as a bull and feel great. Please comment. Best regards and the donation (100 EURO) was sent this morning.

"Worried-well saved"

Hello "Worried Well Saved,"

Yours is just one more in the impressive and rapidly growing number of folks who convinced themselves their "symptoms" could be nothing other than HIV, despite incontrovertible evidence (a "gazillion" negative tests out to one year!) against that diagnosis! Once the appropriate diagnosis was mad and treatment given, the "symptoms" resolved!

I'm delighted you have discovered the true cause of your symptoms and that you now "feel great" and are as "strong as a bull!"

Thank you for taking the time to write and share your experience and happy ending! WOO-HOO! I'm confident your testimonial will help others caught in an HIV panic to at least consider the possibility that HIV might not be the only possible cause of their symptoms. Thank you also for your very generous donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation. Your compassion and generosity toward those in desperate need are warmly appreciated.

Stay well.

Dr. Bob